The Girl With The Red Spider Lily
by Kooni-chan
Summary: "I'll become stronger". Anna swore for she would never again let her own powers control her. After the separation , she begins a journey of her own with...Anna I and Hao? ANNA'S ZERO STORY, My first fanfic...ever
1. Prologue

I was thinking of making a Zero Story for Anna, a manga oneshot so I first created this to finalize my story. Anyone heard of Anna III from Shaman King Flowers? There must be Anna I and Anna II. Who are they? Find out on the story below.

Title References: The Girl With The Red Spider Lily = The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (a 2011 movie that has nothing to do with this story)

Naming the chapters to from a movie is a Takei thing, I'm just trying it out. And I'm new with this writing thing, if there's something I have to improve on, please feel free to say so in the reviews corner. ^^

* * *

**A story of how Anna became Anna Kyoyama…**

_"I'll become stronger"_. Anna swore for she would never again let her own powers control her. After getting off the train and saying goodbye to the boy wearing headphones that seemed to have melted her frozen heart, she then began to start her journey of becoming stronger.

…

Anna knew all along that that day will be the last chance for her to say good bye to the boy she entrusted her life and dreams. All she can do now is to wait patiently for him to fulfill his promise.

She got on the train one stop before Yoh and got off a few stops after just to say all those words that she may never again say to Yoh for a long time.

But what Yoh didn't know is that he is not the only reason why Anna went out and ride on the train all of the sudden. Kino, Yoh's grandmother, asked Anna to go and find a senior itako she has trained before. This senior itako, as asked by Kino, will be staying at Aomori-shi located in central Aomori prefecture all the way from Tokyo in order to train Anna.

Anna, finding her way in Aomori-shi, had no idea about the senior itako, neither her name nor her appearance. The only information she got from Kino is that once they saw each other, they'll know it is the person they are looking for.

"Geez, finding someone in this crowd of people, not to mention how big this place is…" Anna said followed by a sigh. While strolling around, a figure is trying to follow her. Could this person be the one Anna is looking for or perhaps…

Anna then came across a small but cozy-looking restaurant, which is good since she haven't had breakfast yet and after that long journey from Shimokita Station, no one would just simply pass lunch at a time like this, right?

The ramen store is empty. Well, nothing expected at this time of the day. She was already seated when the store owner noticed her.

"Well, I've never seen you before around here ojou-chan. Where are you from?" The store owner asked while preparing her meal.

"I came all the way from Shimokita Station." Anna replied with her icy tone of speaking.

He seems hesitated on giving Anna her order but he gave it anyway. The atmosphere inside the store is peace and quiet when …

"Ojou-chan, I think it will be better for you to leave this shop already." The old man in the shop requested, breaking the silence.

"Why is that?" Anna replied as she takes another sip of her ramen.

"Because it's time for …"

The old man wasn't able to finish because a group of 3 thugs suddenly barged in.

"Eh? Didn't I tell you old man to keep this place empty at this time?" One of them bragged.

"Then why do we have this little girl eating alone here." Another one followed.

"Well, you see, I didn't even permit you to stay here in the first place" The store owner exclaimed.

"What did you say old man?" One of thugs asked as he swings his wooden sword.

"He told you to leave this place already, right? Are you all deaf or something?" Anna taunted as she stands up from her seat and faced at the thugs. "You dare say that this place belongs to you. This is why I hate humans. I swear I would never meet another dude with a weird hairstyle as ugly as yours. Did you even look at yourself in the mirror? Try it and see that you are a bunch of sore…"

"Losers." A voice, Anna's line was interrupted by a mysterious voice. It was then followed by the sound of footsteps finding its way inside the store. So the voice came from a woman with a long and curly blonde hair.

"What?" "Where did you come from?" "You sure talk big young lady. Want some action?" The three thugs pleaded.

This woman then reaches for a something covered in cloth below near her bag. "Well, on what kind of action you really want." she boasted as the sword she is holding was revealed.

"Boss, could it be that…" One of the thugs whispered to each other. "It's no good, what we need to do is … RUN~!" They screamed while running towards the exit.

"Oh! I didn't recognize you for a minute there madam." The store owner excitedly said.

"You know her?" Anna asked the store owner.

"Of course! She's been a great help to all of us here. The senior itako, Anna-chan."

"You don't have add –chan mister." The senior itako requested as she blushes.

"The senior itako, Anna?" Anna repeated.

"Then you must be Anna-chan, the one Kino-san told me about? Look, we even have the same name." She said mockingly while leaning towards Anna.

…

"We're here!" Senior Anna noted, captivated by the old house in front of them, illuminated by the setting sun. They then entered the house.

"This place is kinda old" Anna pointed out as she robs her finger on the table and notices the layer of dust.

"Sorry about that. I used to live here 5 years ago before I headed to Tokyo." She explained while arranging her luggage. "How about we change our clothes first then clean the whole place up? We might be here for a while. I have a few clothes that may fit you upstairs." Followed by a smile

Anna went upstairs and thought to herself. "I didn't expect her to be the senior itako Kino-san was talking about."

"These were the only ones there. You seem very fond of this type of clothes." Anna told senior Anna while wearing a black sando and shorts she found upstairs.

Senior Anna stared at her like she remembered something but she closed her eyes and both of them started to tidy things up. "The night is about to fall, let's just start your training tomorrow so don't forget to wake up early in the morning."

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**Next Chapter**: Anna's _itako_ training from Anna I, or what you want to call it.


	2. Stupid Papers

**Chapter 2 - Stupid Papers**

"Bite something and it'll bite you back." _-Amidamaru, SKF 01_

Instead of disliking someone, how about trying to like the ones willing to stay by your side and appreciate you for you who you are.

* * *

The sun is finally up together with birds chirping. Everyone in Aomori enjoys the cool breeze blowing through except for one person, Anna. She is in the middle of the not so busy street handing out flyers of some hot springs that senior Anna, sitting in a near shaded place with her sunglasses on, had given her.

"Excuse me, Anna-san, can I ask a question?" Anna questioned senior Anna at the same time, approaching her.

"What is it?" senior Anna responded.

"How is handing out flyers a part of an _itako_ training?" Anna stated with both of her hands on her waist.

"I told you last night right? Your training will start this morning."

"It's morning already."

"Yes, obviously."

"Then what am I doing handing out flyers to a street where only a few people pass instead of training?"

"Since you're doing it this morning, it's your training."

"You do know that I came here for itako training."

"Yes, Kino-san told me."

Before Anna could say another word, senior Anna interrupted. "Hmmm, how about you give away at least 2 flyers then go back here. Oh, and remember to be yourself, ok? And try to actually approach people instead of standing still."

Anna walked away with her annoyed face. "Be myself? Be myself while handing out these papers? One more stupid thing and I …" She murmured.

An office lady and a tourist finally pass and Anna gave a flyer to each of them, being herself and all, a typical Anna will just give these papers without saying any words at all.

"You saw it right? I handed _two _already." Anna insisted with a two-figure of her hand towards senior Anna.

"I saw it."

"And…?"

Senior Anna smiled and reaches for hand bag. She then pulls out a … ribbon? Together with a cute and colorful jacket, she handed all of it to Anna.

"What am I going to with these?"

"Wear it of course."

"No!" Anna complained as she throws the ribbon and jacket. "I knew it. I shouldn't have listened to you all along. A senior itako? I mean look at you. I don't care if you're actually a 40 year old lady that likes to have fun. I didn't come all the way here just to hand out some stupid papers for advertisement." Anna sputtered.

"That's rude. I'm only 32 years old." Senior Anna sneered with the irritated Anna staring at her. "Land one on me. Hit me once with anything you can. I'll give you three seconds."

"What?"

"3…2…"

Anna quickly summons an oni but …

"…1, you're late." Senior Anna then put a seal on Anna's movements so she wasn't able to summon her oni.

"What happened?" Anna asked, unable to move. A group of shikigami kooni then emerged around Anna, restricting her every move.

Senior Anna then stands up and told Anna. "I won." She picks up the dropped ribbon and jacket and put them on Anna. "Now, you have no choice but to hand these flyers out wearing these cute clothes on."

"Release me first." Anna requested.

"Oh I forgot. Sorry." Senior Anna smiles after. "And unlike earlier, do your best to actually talk to these people, one is enough ok? If you don't, you won't see the results of this _training_."

"Let's get these over with. Just one person right? I'll show you that there will be no results to this _training_." Anna murmured to herself once again.

"There's a new hot spring hotel near this area. And…I was told to give out these flyers."

The person Anna gave her last flyer was an old woman.

"Oh! What a cute little girl. But you better finish this early and go home already. You might catch a cold out here." Those words were all told by the old woman to Anna while smiling.

Anna was shocked, unable to move that she didn't even notice the old woman walking away from her.

"How does it feel? Do be liked by someone you completely don't know." Senior Anna asked the immobile Anna.

"But…" She added.

"It doesn't feel right. Wearing all of these..."Senior Anna said while taking the ribbon on Anna's hair. "…makes you feel like you're not yourself. It's because you can't please anybody. No matter how good or bad you are, how significant your efforts have been, there will still be people who'll dislike you for some reasons. "

"I heard you that time, at the restaurant. Even though you have already met this Asakura guy, things such as hatred and grief can't easily be forgotten. Then how about setting those things aside and disregard them? Just be yourself and do limitless things to your heart's desire. Won't it feel better to be assertive with who you really are? Enjoy the company of the ones who prefers being on your side and have assurance that they won't let you have any lonely feelings, at least. Anyways, we better go now and start your _itako_ training and this time, it's for real."

"That woman, this_ training_, I actually felt comfortable and moved with those words of her. I suddenly began to feel like I can trust her all of a sudden thanks to these stupid papers." Anna, completely loss in thought, assumed as she follows Senior Anna.

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**Next Chapter:** The actual training where Anna tries to get in touch with a special person for her after a long time.


	3. Reminisce

**Chapter 3 - Reminisce**

"Just because I'm a shaman, it doesn't mean I can speak to every spirit." _- Lyserg Diethel, SKZ 04_

Just because you're an itako, it doesn't mean you can search for every spirit.

* * *

"To channel the spirits of the deceased and even of those who have gone already into the afterlife is a special ritual among itakos known as _kuchiyose_. Everything depends on the skill and ability of an itako. Regardless of where you are, you must acquire the concentration required to enter a trance and find the necessary spirit with given information." Senior Anna explained as she and Anna walks across a forest on a sunny afternoon.

"And the reason you are bringing me to this nearby temple is for me to call upon a certain spirit for you." Anna added which caused Senior Anna to pause for a while.

"I almost forgot about this special power of yours. I bet you already know who it is, the one I'll ask you to call forth."

"Why? Of all the spirits wandering around this place…" Anna protested.

"You can't accomplish anything by running away from it. You need to overcome your weaknesses, become stronger and move forward. If you can't even deal with a small problem like this one, then how will you be able to deal with everything else in the future?" Those were the words of a girl who once lost everything.

…

_"The first is for my father, the second is for my mother, the third is for my siblings in my hometown. We pray for your soul. If you hear my voice in the extremities of the next world, rise! If you hear this rosary, come!"_

"Darkness, everything is engulfed with it. So this is what being on a trance is. A hitodama(spirit ball)? Hitodamas are beginning to appear one by one and transforms to their human form. But none of them seems familiar to me. I was looking for her. I must focus my attention only to that person. What was her name? Her age, her appearance, her face…everything, I can't remember anything about her." Anna gently opens her eyes. She has hard time breathing. Sweat slowly drips off her face. She then notices that she was unable to summon that person.

"Eh? You haven't summoned anyone yet. What's with that frightened-looking face of yours? Senior Anna taunted Anna which didn't have any reaction, at all.

"Is it because you found her but didn't have the courage to face her now or is it because you didn't found her due to your lack of information about your mother? Senior Anna asked Anna but she seemed hesitant to reply.

"How did you know that person in the first place?" Anna asked as she faces Senior Anna.

"Because you kept on babbling "Mama, mama" when you were found in a near-death state on the bridge over Sanzu River by Kino-san. She told over the phone before coming here. But calling her "mama" instead of "okaa-san", are you a half or something?" Senior Anna, confused and hoping for an answer, added.

"It doesn't matter!" Anna shouted.

"I'm not surprised if the only thing that I can remember from a tragic tale 6 years ago is the pain and resentment." She added.

"Who cares about your past? There's nothing else we can do to change it. It's better this way, that you won't bother anymore to reminisce a horrid past."

"Now back to our _itako_ training. The best way to improve your skills is to practice." She then pulls out a folded paper and show it to Anna. "This is list of people here in Aomori-shi that needs assistance with their deceased loved ones. Treat it as a daily routine from now on."

Anna started her daily itako routine. Places to places, she managed to use her skills to help the spirits settle their unfinished business before heading into the afterlife. Of course, as an itako, all of these are free and she can't charge money on her services as told by Senior Anna. She also studies on how to get rid of evil spirits lurking around.

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**Next Chapter:** Senior Anna and Anna's trip to the city


End file.
